


You Can Try

by rosetardis



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-16
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-09 04:06:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1968399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosetardis/pseuds/rosetardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When 16 year old Rose Tyler develops a crush on the new kid and class joker at school, she tells herself she'll never get involved. But when her best friend suggests a club as a means to getting to know him better, will she take it? Ten/Rose AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Offer

Rose Tyler was ashamed of herself. She had promised herself that she would simply survive high school. But that was it. Though, how she wasn’t sure. Certainly not with the grades she held. But she wasn’t planning on having any attachments of any sort besides the ones she held before high school.

That was until Flynn Rice, the new student, came.

Stupid Flynn Rice.

Then again, she couldn’t exactly call him stupid. He was quite smart, she had to admit. Brilliant, really. Top of the class.

But she hated the way her heart raced and her stomach flipped whenever she saw his messy, untidy brown hair and his always neat clothing and his freckled face and his stupid shoes and stupid coat. It wasn’t fair. No one could be that nerdy and smart, but still be absolutely hilarious and loved by nearly everyone at school.

Including Rose.

And he had managed to win the hearts of nearly everyone at Williams High School in his first week in attendance. Rose was confounded at how it was possible. She had been going to the same school as most students there since before she could even remember, yet no one paid her any goddamn attention at her school.

She was only known for her lacking grades, which she wasn’t quite sure just how people knew about them.

She hated admitting it, but she had developed a crush on Flynn. Maybe it began just after he arrived or a month or so later. She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that it had happened and she couldn’t seem to make it un-happen.

So she muddled through it and went about her days, never speaking to Flynn or his dumb nerd friends.

The day was slightly chilly, mid-March, when she walked to school that day. She had ignored her best friend Mickey’s offer to drive her to school, but she wasn’t up for a fifteen minute car ride in his beat up truck to hear him rant about some girl he had his eye on.

As Rose wrapped her favorite pink jumper tighter around herself, the looked up and noticed the sky matched what she was feeling like the past few days. It looked as if it was trying to rain, but couldn’t for the simple fact that it wasn’t trying much at all, much like her hopeless crush on Flynn.

With that, she rounded a corner and Williams High School came into view. She marched up the steps and pushed the door open with a resistant groan.

 

* * *

 

“Well, you know you could have ridden with me, Rose.” Mickey scolded Rose at lunch that day, talking around a mouthful of chips.

Rose lightened the mood with a playful smile. “It’s fine, Mickey, really. I’m alive, aren’t I?” She extended her arms to either side of her, gesturing at her put together form.

Mickey wasn’t convinced. He frowned, pulling his brows together. “I worry, that’s all.”

“That much is clear,” Rose popped a chip into her mouth.

She tried to busy herself in eating her lunch, but her eyes unconsciously flickered up to the cafeteria surrounding her. Her eyes always managed to land on Flynn. He was sitting with his herd of science friends, cracking jokes and laughing his head off. Rose couldn’t help but quirk a smile.

“What is it you’re smiling ‘bout?” Mickey questioned her scrupulously.

“Nothing, nothing,” Rose looked back down at her tray. But Mickey wouldn’t leave it there.

He spun around on his bench, trying to follow the gaze Rose had held earlier. When he found his target, he turned back around, raising a brow and holding a mischievous grin.

“The new bloke, huh?”

Rose shook her head, quickly tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. “He’s not new. At least, not anymore,”

He snorted. “Why didn’t you tell me, Rose?”

“Because,” Rose lifted her head, “I know how you bother me about that girl you like. I didn’t want to do the same to you.”

He looked momentarily hurt, but quickly recovered. “Oh, never mind that. You should have told me because I know just the way you can get to know him better.”

Rose sighed, exasperated. “That’s exactly what I don’t want you doing! Getting involved! I’m fine to leave it where it is.”

“No, no, you have to hear me out, Rose,” Mickey leaned across the table on his elbows, one hand outstretched, “Just listen, okay? I hear Flynn is forming some kind of group with his mates. Some science club or whatever, the perfect way for you two to hand out!” With that, he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, evidently quite pleased with himself.

“No,” Rose said simply.

Mickey shot forward in his seat. “Sorry, what?”

“No,” Rose said, a bit louder now, “I’m not going to some science club just to get to know a guy better. You know how that’ll turn out. Rose Tyler, at a science club meeting?” She shook her head. “Never in a million years.”

“Well, just think about my offer, and maybe then you’ll accept.”

“I don’t need to think it over, Mickey. I’m not going.”

He reached across the table, retrieving a chip from her plate. “Just you think about that, Rose. I’ll be patient.”

Rose tilted her head at him. “Will you be there?”

“Maybe,” then Mickey smiled, as if they were sharing a private joke, “if you’ll be there.”

Rose laughed. The two of them were inseparable since they were just kids and of course Mickey would do anything with her. Even if that meant she got a boy because of it.

“So,” Rose folded her arms on top of the table and leaned forward, “what about that girl you’ve got your eye on?”

“Oh,” Mickey looked up at the ceiling, “her name’s Martha. Sorry for never telling you.” Then, an idea struck him, for he sat up straighter and met Rose’s gaze. “Tell you what, she might be there. She likes science, right?”

Rose shrugged, but smiled. “Maybe, you never know.”

Mickey nodded, matching her smile. “So it’s decided, yeah?”

“What? No! I never said that.”

His smile only grew. “You want to, I know you, Rose. I’ve known you forever and you want to go.”

Rose tried to bury a smile as she snatched her satchel from the back of her chair. In a hurry, she slung it over her shoulder and looked back at Mickey.

“I’m not speaking to you.”

And with that she hurried off, but not before she heard Mickey’s laugh sounding from behind her and this time, she couldn’t mask the smile that came to her face.


	2. Someone Worth Knowing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally had this posted on another site, so I'm just trying to upload all my current chapters to that the two are caught up:-)

Not a day would go by where Rose didn’t sleep through her alarm. Fortunately for her, that meant more sleep. Unfortunately, that meant her mum would be forced to wake her up.

“Rose, sweetheart, you have to _wake up!_ Otherwise I’ll be forced to pour water on you, and I really wouldn’t want you wetting your bed, mind you.” Jackie Tyler screeched from above her.

“Not that it would matter,” Rose ran a hand through her untidy hair, “My bed would already be wet by then.”

Rose could practically hear Jackie roll her eyes, as her eyes were shut. She heard her mother sigh loudly. “My point is _get up_. You’re going to be late for school.”

“Right, about that,” Rose sat up now, forcing herself to open her eyes and meet the light of day, “I may be staying a bit later today.”

Jackie straightened and glared questionably down at her daughter. “And why’s that?”

“Just for a school club,” Rose shrugged, her hands resting on the bend behind her.

Her mum crossed her arms over her chest. “A school club? That doesn’t sound like you, Rose.”

Rose attempted at a small smile. “Things change,”

“Hm, sure do, don’t they?” Jackie sniffed, leaving Rose alone to change.

She changed quickly at that, slipping on a jean jacket and pulling her shoulder length blonde hair into a short ponytail. Suddenly, her stomach have a sharp jerk. Her excitement quickly faded into anxiety and fear. She was going to talk to Flynn for the first time. What if it didn’t end well?

Swallowing her fear, she pushed her door open and decided some breakfast would help her to feel better.

This time she accepted Mickey up on his offer to drive her to school.

 

* * *

                                                  

“Rose, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“What’s got you in such a fit?” Rose smiled as she slammed the passenger seat door closed behind her.

“Nothin’,” Mickey shook his head, keeping his eyes straight on the road in front of him.

“Oh, come off it,” Rose punched his arm, “is it Martha?”

She could see Mickey swallow noisily. Though he gave a small shake of the head, she could see in his dark eyes that it was about Martha. Rose could see some slight guilt and embarrassment in them. She conclude not to push.

“So,” she sat back in her seat, “you still coming?”

He flicked his eyes over to her and gave her a small, almost sad smile. “Maybe,”

But, judging from his underlying tone, she could tell he meant ‘no.’

 

* * *

 

Almost immediately after Rose slammed her locker shut, she spotted the reason for Mickey’s sadness.

She watched on as Martha Jones was swept up into the arms of Thomas Milligan. He kissed her with such a passion that he lifted Martha off her feet.

“There’s your Martha,” Rose nodded towards them with her head.

Mickey sighed, purposely turning away from them. “I know.”

Rose frowned. “Then why didn’t you tell me, Mickey?”

“Because I didn’t know,” he said simply.

She patted him on the arm reassuringly, she hoped. “Tell ya what, why don’t you come to that club later this afternoon? Help you get your mind off of her. Maybe meet someone else or make new friends.”

He almost laughed at her. “Won’t she be there?”

“Maybe, but that’s a risk you’re gonna have to take.”

His shoulders slumped, resigned. “Alright, but no crazy promises, okay? I might show; I might not.”

Rose shoved her hands into her pockets, smiling at her best friend, her tongue slipping between her teeth. “Okay,”

 

* * *

 

The club was to be held in the main Literature room. It was a small room, not offering much walking space, but Rose found it to soon be perfect for their tiny club. She took a seat in the back corner of the room, wrapping her satchel around the back of the seat. She leaned forward, observing all the people who entered. A majority of the members were Flynn’s friends. Soon, when the steady stream of students stopped, she took notice that she and Mickey were the only ones there who weren’t one of Flynn’s closest friends.

“ _Mickey_ ,” she whispered as she bended towards her friend seated in front of her, “We’re the only ones here who aren’t friends with him.”

“Yeah?” His eyes flicked back to look at her, “Then ya better act like you honestly have an interest in science.”

Rose let out a long gust of breath, sitting back in her seat. How on earth was _that_ going to happen? Science wasn’t exactly her strong suit. Actually, nothing was.

“ _Brilliant!_ ”

Rose jumped in her seat slightly as the voice boomed from behind her, right in the room’ entryway. Heads turned to see Flynn Rice leaning back on his heels, hands in his coat’s pockets. He glanced gleefully around the room like a child on Christmas morning. Many of his friends smiled at him, but Rose peered curiously at him. She looked to Mickey, whom was smiling slightly himself. She felt quite out of place.

“I’m guessing this’ll be all. Brilliant!” he repeated, shutting the door behind him and striding quickly down the center aisle of the classroom. As he passed her, the back end of his jacket slapped Rose’s leg. The corners of her mouth turned down.

“Alllllright!” He spun in the front of the classroom. “Many of you know me by a different name, but by the two new children here,” he outstretched both his hands towards Mickey and Rose (she couldn’t help deepening her frown) and gave them a soft, greeting of a smile, “I’ll introduce myself as Flynn Rice.” His smile widened as confusion dawned on both of their faces. Many of his friends smiled wider and raised their eyebrows.

New children? A different name? What had Rose gotten herself into? She thought she knew Flynn, just from watching him. She thought his personality was all on the outside, for all to observe, but now she realized just how wrong she had been. An unsettling feeling buried itself within her as she understood just how little she saw of her new found crush. Her feelings of anxiety and excitement suddenly, but slowly faded from her.

“What do you mean ‘a different name’? Isn’t your name Flynn?” Rose spoke slowly without comprehending what she was saying.

“Why, yes--” Flynn began.

“And why are you referring to us as children?” Her suspicion grew and her crush-like feelings towards him changed.

He almost laughed, smiling so that the skin around his eyes crinkled. “Aren’t we all?”

Rose pursed her lips. “What’s this other name of yours then?” She jutted her chin out towards him. “Go on, I’m listening.”

He smiled, genuinely pleased to be given reason to announce his other name. Mickey whipped his head back at Rose, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. She reassured him with a small smile. She knew what she was doing.

Flynn cleared his throat, hands in pockets. “Most people around the school call me Flynn, but that’s because I don’t like them much and would hate for them to call me my true name that others call me, one more genuine and special to me.” He had a scowl on his face, but he rearranged it to a look of pride. “Only those closest to me call me the Doctor,”

Surprisingly, Mickey was the first to react, laughing. “The Doctor? You’re kidding, right? No wonder people still like you ‘round here. They don’t know what you’re really called! Otherwise they’d all be filling your coat pockets with boogies and stealing your gym clothes.” He looked back at Rose to see her reaction, a smile plastered on his face.

All she could muster was carefully saying, “The Doctor?”

Flynn’s eyebrows rose and he smiled hopefully at her. “Yup, that’s what they call me.” He tossed his head to one side, and Rose had the strangest feeling that he was almost…curiously observing her. As if he was fascinated by and wished to see what she’d say next, captivated by her very essence.

“Bonkers, isn’ he, Rose? Completely mad!” Mickey laughed.

“Oh,” ‘the Doctor’ tossed his head to the other side, “Not bonkers, I’d say. Purely a large matter of brilliance bottled up inside one brain. It has to leak somewhere.” He said, running a hand through his rather messy hair, looking to the ceiling.

He quickly lowered his head, staring at Mickey. “Sorry, I didn’t quite get your name.”

“Mickey Smith, that is,”

“Rickey?” He leaned forward on his feet, his head turned so that his one ear faced Mickey.

“ _Mickey_ ,”

“Ah,” he rocked back. “Mickey Mouse!”

“Just Mickey, actually,” he said, his voice losing its confident tone and quickly turning to annoyance.

“Alright, then, you go on, Doctor, with all this club nonsense.” Rose said, nodding her head as more direction than encouragement, but he smiled cheerfully anyways.

“Right, so, we’re all dreamers, aren’t we? That’s why we’re here.” He began.

“Hold on,” Rose held up a hand to silence him, and, admittingly, she was both attracted to him and annoyed with him when he simply smiled at her like the most interesting thing in the room. Like—like he didn’t mind her interrupting him and was quite looking forward to it. “I came here because I was told this was a science club, mate.”

He tossed his head back, laughing. Once he regained his composure, he said to her, “Now what’s your name, then?”

“Rose. Rose Tyler.”

His mouth twitched upwards. “Rose Tyler,” he said, as if trying her name out on his tongue, “’A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’” He said, quoting Shakespeare.

She could feel her cheeks flame, but ignored it, pushing on. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“It doesn’t,” he said, taking a seat on top of one of the desks in the front of the classroom, “But you answer me this, Rose Tyler, do you ever dream of traveling?”

“Yeah, but, I mean, doesn’t everyone--”

“Ah, no, _that’s it_ ,” He shot out from where he perched and took a few steps towards Rose, his hands outstretched, almost carefully, “They don’t, of course they don’t. We all dream of different things, because I _know_ a dreamer when I see one, and you, Rose Tyler, are a dreamer.”

That sent Rose silent, but the Doctor didn’t seem to notice or even care as he searched her eyes, his chocolate colored ones flicking back and forth between hers. Then, realization broke out on his face.

“Oh, but you only dream. You don’t think there’s any way of you traveling someplace else. You really believe that, don’t you? Either something or someone’s got you holding back, but, oh is it there alright.” To her surprise, he smiled. “But you just wait. You just hang in there, Rose Tyler, because I believe in you and I believe there’s something more out there for you.”

Finally, she smiled, her tongue finding its way between her teeth and the Doctor mirrored her smile and, to her, it felt like they had shared some private moment, but really, they hadn’t, had they? They were still sitting in the middle of a classroom with more students, but the Doctor didn’t seem to care and neither did Rose Tyler, because that moment was complete enough for her.

And as she sat there, grinning like an idiot at a man madder than her who called himself in private the Doctor, her complete image of the young man she once had a crush on changed, because he was no longer Flynn Rice, he was the Doctor and only ever the Doctor. And he was someone worth knowing.


	3. A Picnic, Rose

Rose slung her satchel over her shoulder as she stood once the meeting had ended. Though, she wasn’t even sure she should call it that. Flynn—no, _the Doctor_ —just babbled on about his dreams and ambitions and plans, and it was all rather interesting, really; it just wasn’t about science or maths.

Then again, maybe Rose thought it better that way. No zany formulas and equations to get boggled up in her head. No, something she could more easily understand and relate to was much better any day.

She guessed the Doctor did have a point in calling her a dreamer. Late at night when she thought her mum was asleep, she’d dream about traveling the world, perhaps meeting new people trying new food, learning new cultures. But then, reality would come crashing down when he realized it wasn’t that easy. She couldn’t just push through her ordinary life and just _hope_ for good to come her way. It didn’t work like that, she knew quite well, but she did it anyways.

She was nearly failing all her classes and just a blink away from her mum forcing her into getting an actual job.

Rose shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts that had suddenly crowded her head while she waited for Mickey to pack up his things.

“You ready?” he asked her, his backpack hanging from one shoulder.

“Yeah,” Rose said quietly, nodding her head.

“Something wrong?” he asked her as they both left the Literature room together and Rose shook her head, pulling on a forced smile.

“Oh, come on, Rose,” Mickey smiled, naturally, “I know you better than you think and I know when you’re upset.”

Rose’s gaze flickered away and landed on her trainers. “’s nothing, really,” she reassured him, “I was just thinkin’ over my grades and my future and, you know, the usual.”

Mickey’s smile faltered, but he quickly covered it up with a soft gleam in his dark eyes and a poke to her arm. “If he makes you feel any better, I think he likes you.”

“Who?”

“Flynn—I mean, the Doctor,” He looked back over his shoulder through the doorway where the Doctor was stuffing random doo-dads he had brought to show them into his satchel, his coat flying behind him.

“Oh, Mickey, I don’t want to give my hopes up. Besides, by the looks of it, it seems like he treats everyone like that. Almost like he can’t help it. To be honest, I don’t see him being overly fond than normal over anyone!”

Mickey just smiled to himself, shaking his head.

“I’m serious, Mickey!” Rose was flustered now, her face brimming red, “I thought I knew him and I thought I liked him for sure, but then he just—I don’t know, comes ‘round saying he’s this young man with big plans and has another name and doesn’ even prefer the name Flynn over that stupid nickname of his! I don’t think he’s the one I have a crush on, Mickey. I think I was wrong.”

“Really? Because it sure looked like you liked him back there.” He pointed behind them into the classroom.

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know, Mickey, I really don’t. Maybe I think he’s interesting, thas all. I’m over it.”

“Does that mean you won’t be comin’ to the club anymore?” He looked seriously hurt by what she had said.

She suddenly realized how selfish she had been, not even considering Mickey’s feelings. Maybe he liked the club and wanted to stay. She hadn’t even thought that he wasn’t doing this all for her, but himself, too.

“Oh, Mickey, of course I will. I don’t know, maybe I can give him another chance.”

He smiled back at her. “You can try,”

“ _Rose!_ ” she heard a voice call from behind her.

She turned to see the Doctor clumsily darting through the desks to reach her. Rose turned to find Mickey, but she noticed he was already gone, walking out the double set of doors at the end of the hallway. When she turned back to the classroom, the Doctor had reached her side.

“Mind if I walk you home?” he asked her.

“Um, my friend, Mickey, was going to drive me, but don’t you have a car or somethin’?”

He ran a hand through his already messy hair. “Nah, cars are too polluted, too carbonated. I prefer to walk instead.” He began walking and Rose couldn’t help but walk alongside him. “Anyways, don’t mind me asking, but how far do you live from here?”

“Not far,” she answered, unsure of herself, “jus’ about fifteen minutes away,”

“Brilliant!” he exclaimed, lifting his head, having been staring at her intently before. And with that he set off at a brisk pace, his satchel hitting against his long legs and Rose struggled to keep up.

 

* * *

 

Rose watched the Doctor as he rambled on about Barcelona and occasionally space, wondering how it was possible that someone could talk that long. It had been nearly ten minutes since they left the school behind and about five minutes until they reached her house. As the strode along the sidewalk side by side, she couldn’t help but notice the way his freckles stood out in the afternoon sun.

Not that it mattered.

“Anyways, enough about me, what about yourself?” He finally looked down at her.

She quickly looked away from him. She didn’t want him to catch her staring. “Nothing, actually, I certainly don’ know as much as you do.”

He tossed his head back, the sun catching the tips of his chestnut hair. “Oh, come on, you got to have something to say about yourself. What about your friend Rickey? What’s it like with him?”

“Mickey, and we’re just friends. Really close friends, ever since…well, I can’t exactly remember, but he’s always been there for me.”

The Doctor stared intently at her, his face gone solemn. “And you and him…what, you’re not…?”

“No,” Rose let out a breathy laugh, “no, well we tried it for a while, but it didn’t work out. But we should have known. No, we’re better left as just friends.” She continued laughing, she couldn’t help it.

And soon, the Doctor was laughing, too. They laughed like idiots, like they were sharing some kind of inside joke, all the way home.

Rose stopped him in front of her flat. “This is it.”

She turned to him, but she noticed his thoughts seemed elsewhere, his hands in his pockets as he looked out past her.

“Doctor?” she asked cautiously.

“Right, yes,” then, as his gaze focused on her, a grin spread over his face crinkling the skin around his eyes, “you called me by my true name. Look at that,”

Rose lifted a brow. “Your true name?”

“Well, sure, it’s what I prefer anyways.”

She shook her head. “You’re absolutely bonkers, you are.”

As if remembering something he needed to tell her, he bounced on the balls of his feet, taking a step closer to Rose. For a brief second, she thought he would kiss her. But that was insane, they had only just met. Then, again, they had done it plenty of times in her dreams, and perhaps more than just kissing—

“A picnic, Rose!” He exclaimed, as if he couldn’t form sentences and just spat things out as they came to mind.

“Sorry, what?”

“A picnic! We could have a picnic, right on the front lawn of the school. I just thought of it, wouldn’t that be brilliant?” His face was alight with joy, and she couldn’t understand why.

“Um, sorry, just you and me? But why? Are you asking me out?”

As if realizing his mistake, he jerked back, grin wiped from face and eyes wide. “What? No! I mean the club, haven’t quite figured out a name for it, but I’ll get there. I mean, for the club, we could hold a picnic during lunch tomorrow. Right on the front lawn of the school.”

Rose couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head. “Yeah, that’d be great, sure, but why? And what even is the purpose of this club?”

He shrugged, but looked taken aback by the question. “Oh, I don’t know. Just to do something different, you know?”

“Actually I don’t, but whatever suits your fancy is fine by me.” She said, patting his chest as she stepped away from him, towards the door to her flat. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow then, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he had that faraway look in his eyes again, except this time he was looking at Rose, as if imagining something that involved her, “tomorrow,”

She smiled fondly at him, hoping to wake him out of his reverie, but he remained standing and staring like that as she opened the door.

Right before she shut the door behind her, thought, she thoughts he saw him move, and when he did, he looked right at the spot her hand had patted him, and he touched the fabric of his coat almost delicately.

She could never understand him, she thought.

 

* * *

 

To Rose’s surprise, the Doctor did actually hold a picnic the next day. She expected him to just forget about it, perhaps, or post-pone it until later. But no, as soon as Rose walked out the front doors of the building, just to see, she saw the Doctor sitting to the left side of the lawn, a wide quilt spread across the freshly mown grass. He sat happily on his coat, which was laying beneath him. Not many people were yet there, just Jack Harkness and Mickey, who was diving into the basket of apples, not to Rose’s surprise.

When the Doctor saw her making her way slowly down the front steps, a small grin on her ace, his face nearly lite up. He almost bounced with joy as he waved high and wide to her with both hands, as if she couldn’t see him already.

She quickened her pace then, not wanting to give the poor guy a heart attack from excitement. When he reached the edge of the quilt, ready to sit down between Mickey and Jack, he slapped the room left on the coat next to him. She sighed, and sat down next to him, the Doctor on one side and Mickey the other.

“There, so that’ll be all, then?” he asked to know on in particular.

“All? What do you mean? There’s only four of us. At the meeting yesterday there were more than just four.” Rose asked, tilting her head sideways to look at the Doctor.

“Ah,” the Doctor said, taking a bite out of a ham sandwich, “They’re a bunch of filthy traitors, they are.” He spoke, mouth full. “When I asked them earlier today, they all outright refused me. ‘Too elementary’ they said. But! It doesn’t matter now, there’s plenty of food for all of us and just enough people for me.”

When he said that last bit, he looked over at her, and she blushed unconsciously. She didn’t know why. She shouldn’t’ve.

“Fine by me,” Mickey smiled, reaching across Rose for another apple.

They all dug into the food the Doctor had arranged for them, and Rose couldn’t help wondering if he had prepared it all himself. Then she began to wonder if he even had a family at all. For some reason, he gave off the vibe that he had no one to return to at home.

She nibbled a tomato and lettuce sandwich when Jack finally spoke to her across the quilt.

“So, Rose Tyler, is it?” he leaned around Mickey, his one eyebrow flicking upwards.

“Yeah,” she said uncertainly. She looked at the Doctor, but he seemed to be focusing attentively at the tree next to them.

“Well, Rose Tyler, are you doing anything later tonight?” he asked her.

She opened her mouth to answer, or perhaps tell him off, the later the more likely of the two, when the Doctor snapped out of his gazing at the apple tree and leaned around Rose, so he could talk properly to Jack.

“Hey, none of that,” he barked.

Now Jack raised both of his eyebrows now. “Never mind then, cheeky,” He leaned back on the soft grass, crossing his arms across his chest. After a beat, Mickey leaned back next to him and soon they were laughing about something stupid.

Rose looked over at the Doctor, before deciding to follow suit. Finishing her sandwich, she leaned back crossing her ankles as she gaze at the sky. She would have been blinded if not for the trees branches extending over her, filtering in few strands of light.

Surprisingly, the Doctor, about a minute later, lay beside her, crossing his ankles just like her. She turned her head to look at him, and almost laughing at the expression on his face. His nose was wrinkled and he looked almost annoyed. Rose was unsure of what until he said, “I think it would be better if I just…”

He trailed off as he kicked off his trainers, exposing his large, socked feet beneath his trousers.

She laughed as her hair blew into her face. He looked over at her, almost surprised. Nothing surprised her, though, more that day then what he did next. He snatched her hand, smiling over at her. Rose tucked her hair behind her ears as she turned away from him and he started rambling about the stars in the sky, even though she couldn’t see them and the moon.

“A picnic?” said a voice from above them. All four of them shot up at just about the same time, Rose ripping her hand out of the Doctor’s their shared moment gone and fled.

Martha Jones was standing across from them from the edges of the quilt, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. Her boyfriend, Tom, was standing protectively behind her, holding her hand.

Rose immediately looked at Mickey. His gaze had dropped down to the blanket, his fingers playing with a piece of string as a blush crept up his cheeks.

Meanwhile, the Doctor beside her smiled widely. “Martha Jones, top of the class,” At that she smiled shyly, but she saw a witty gleam coat her brown eyes as she noticed Jack look up at her, saying, “Care to join us then, Martha Jones?”

“Sure,” she said, pulling Tom down beside her, “but not for you,”

Tom looked over at his girlfriend uncertainly, his bushy brows furrowed. But Martha reassured him with a gentle kiss on the cheek. Rose’s stomach rumbled unpleasantly as she concerned herself with Mickey.

The Doctor appeared unfazed, smiling as Martha reached across the quilt for an apple.

“I thought you said four was enough for you.” Rose whispered to him, pulling him out of his imaginings.

“Well,” he tilted his head to the side before laying back again, “five’s fine, I suppose.”

“Five?” she asked, looking back at Tom, who was sitting uncomfortably as Martha chatted easily with Jack, and soon, Mickey.

When she looked back, the Doctor just shrugged, an almost smile on his face.

“What, can you tell the future, too?” Rose joked.

“Just a bit,” he smiled as his eyes flicked up to meet hers.

Rose shook her head as she leaned backwards, resting her head on the grass next to his. “You’re bonkers, I knew it.”

 

* * *

 

After school that day, Mickey pulled his truck around to the front, like she promised he would. Rose had told him earlier that she would likely need to finish up a maths test after school and that’s when he suggested the idea.

Before she could take one step, she heard her name being called behind her.

She knew the owner of the voice before she’d even turned fully around. “Is this how you’re always going to greet me, Doctor?”

“Now I can’t tell that will be in our future, but you never know.” He shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

“So, what is it, Doctor, did I forget to do a problem on the test? Wait—did you grade it?” she joked and he just laughed at her.

“I came to say goodbye. I’ll see you…tomorrow, I guess,”

“Tomorrow, right, yeah. Until then, see ya,” she turned and leaped down the steps all the way to Mickey’s truck.

As he pulled away and he buckled her seatbelt around herself, she thought she saw the Doctor raise one hand silently, a small grin playing around his mouth and she smiled to herself.


	4. Coming To Terms

Days turned into weeks which quickly transcended into a whole month. The five teenagers had grown rather close. And yes, there were only the five of them. Just two weeks into knowing them, Tom had left Martha, informing her that there wasn’t anything left for him, that he couldn’t be bothered to be around her and her friends anymore.

Rose admired the way Martha had handled it, calmly. When Rose had asked her about it a week after the breakup, she had shrugged, joking that “it was about time, too.”

April blurred into May, thus bringing with it Rose’s seventeenth birthday. And what was the first thing she had done? Bragged about it to the Doctor, about now being the same age as him.

He got a good chuckle out of that, he did, shaking his head and laughing at her. “Age is but a number, Rose. It doesn’t really define the kind of person I am.”

Rose had frowned at him, her playful grin erased from her face. “Sure, but it’s always nice to have lived the same amount of years as someone else.”

He had smiled at her, as if to break the frown from her face, which is managed easy enough, of course. “Age is nothing. It’s what one does in all those years. I could be eight, for all you care, and I’ve lived a million lives, while you could be ten times my age, having experienced little.”

Rose still hadn’t stopped thinking about what he had said, even as she sat at their designated lunch table roughly a week later. Her mind wandered as she vaguely listened to the American boy, Jack, and Mickey rattle on about a game they were planning to see the next weekend at the pub. When Martha set her tray down on the table, the boys’ conversation ceased as it was directed towards her.

“You guys won’t believe this!” Rose snapped her head up at the excited sound of the Doctor’s voice as he barreled across the cafeteria towards them, waving some small paper in his hand. She knit her eyebrows as he threw himself down on the bench across from her.

“Whatcha’ got there, Doctor?” Rose asked, reaching across the table to snatch the paper out of his grip. She succeeded, but, really the Doctor didn’t put up much of a struggle.

“Well, I was late after class, finishing up a test, you know, and Ms. Rigsbee just asks if I’d like a free coupon to the local diner and I said ‘ _sure_ , why not?’ And she gives me two good old coupons for a free meal.” He cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. “Though I do wonder, rather odd for her to just randomly approach me about it.”

Rose examined the two coupons she held between her fingers, seeing that his story rang true. They looked authentic enough.

“Why didn’t she give any to me? Could use these, you know,” Rose remarked, waving the coupons before handing them back to the Doctor, who gave her a wide grin which made her stomach flutter.

Martha cupped her chin in her hand. “Is rather odd, though, isn’t it?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Mickey grinned, “Maybe the old woman likes you, mate,” He leaned towards the Doctor.

Rose saw his ears flame red at the tips and she found that rather endearing, strangely enough.

“Not odd,” Jack said from across the table, tacking a swig from his water bottle, “Happens to me all the time. Teachers like it when you’ve got an approachable face. Helps if you’re also quite the look, right, Doc?”

When the Doctor smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkled.

“So, who’re you going with. Got any family to go with you?” Rose asked him.

He seemed rather taken aback by the question, leaning back in his seat. His eyes dropped to the table at the mention of family. “’Course I do. Right. We’ll I’ll be off to get my lunch.”

Rose watched his back as he joined the queue that had grown shorter since she first arrived. Did he have any family? Rose wasn’t sure where those doubts were coming from, but by the way the Doctor had looked at the mention of family, she assumed not. But she’d just have to find out for herself.

The other three seemed occupied with a separate conversation at hand. Rose wondered where she could get information about where the Doctor lived. She had never visited his house before, and asking him was out of the question. Truthfully, she had done it before, and he’d changed the subject quickly, that wall of his falling into place again. She had tried to ask him when he seemed most open, but the same thing happened.

Asking the school was another option scratched off her list. They’d ask her for her reasoning, which wasn’t exactly justifiable. No, totally out of the question.

The last option was his work place. But of course, they had to have his home records on file. She knew he worked at some geeky shop a few blocks from the school, and they were sure not to ask any questions. She could just throw herself off as a nosey friend.

She checked her watch. Twenty minutes left until break ended. Yeah, she’d have time.

Pushing herself up, she told her friends she had to pick something up for her mum and left the building, walking hurriedly down the street.

 

* * *

 

The store was nearly empty, what with most of the customers and employees being students. When she shoved open the door, a bell rung announcing her arrival overhead.

She shivered. The story was much colder than it was outside. She wrapped her knitted scarf tighter around herself.

“Can I help you?” asked a nasally voice to her right. She whipped her head around, her face relaxing into an easy grin.

A boy that was either a high school dropout or early college student stood behind the glass counter, which displayed an arrangement of action figures, Harry Potter wands, and such.

“Yeah, you can,” Rose stepped up to the other side of the counter, leaning forwards on it so that she stood on the balls of her feet. “I’m looking for the home records to Flynn Rice.”

The boy scoffed, itching his frizzy dark hair. “And who are you, the police?”

Rose’s eye flickered down to his chest, where a nametag announced his name as Bryan. “No, Bryan, but I might as be. I’m his, um,” _Quick thinking, Rose_ , she told herself. She hadn’t thought this out as thoroughly as she thought she might have needed to. “Girlfriend, and I _really_ need this information, um, quite a bit, yeah. Think you could do that for me?”

She looked up at him, hoping she was giving him a very stern face or one that assumed she meant business. She held his gaze, never breaking it once, and finally, he sighed, resigned.

“Oh, alright, stay right here. I’ll be back in a second. Suppose this won’t hurt anyone.”

As he turned away from her, Rose smiled in silent victory. Her eyes drifted to all the strange objects the store held, drumming her fingers on the counter, waiting for Bryan to get back from the back of the store.

The slap of a folder being slammed down onto the table in front of her made her jump, snapping her out of her reverie.

“Right, thanks,” she nodded, signaling for him to go, but he stayed put.

“Actually, think I should watch you in case you try anything stupid.” He remarked smartly.

She scoffed at him, but immediately turned her attention back to the folder. She shifted through the papers for what seemed like hours, an imaginary clock ticking away in her head of all the minutes she had left to get to class.

When she finally found the paper that listed the Doctor’s place of residence, it was all she could do to remain standing upright. She griped the edge of the counter for support.

Noticing her uneasiness, Bryan asked, concerned, “Everything alright?”

Rose swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, not meeting his eyes. “Yeah, thanks.” She bit her lip, turning back towards the door, “Thanks for letting me see those, by the way.”

“No problem, and, um, I’m not to tell Flynn about any of this, right?”

She knew he’d find out soon enough, like he always did, but Rose nodded her head. “Thas’ right.”

The chime of the bells echoed in her head long after she had left the shop.

 

* * *

 

The local foster home. Of course, she should have known. The Lynch family took care of foster kids as well as their own a few blocks away from Rose’s flat. She only knew that because her mum was good friends with Mrs. Lynch.

Well, wouldn’t that be a shock to the woman? Rose Tyler, the girl she had known since she was an infant coming to her house, not for her, but for a boy.

It was only expected that Rose would talk to the Doctor there.

She set out to go that weekend. Not exceptions. She would straighten this out once and for all. It was no use of the Doctor to keep secrets from her. They were friends, right? It was the least she could know about.

Though, she supposed there wasn’t some truth in that. Family meant everything to Rose, what could it mean to him?

She stomped up the steps to the small brick house, dusting the soles of her shoes on the mat out front. She knocked on the door three times before Mrs. Lynch finally greeted her, with a wide grin and open arms.

“Rose, my it’s been some time since I last saw you.” Rose fell into the woman’s embrace before pulling back, smiling at the woman with mousy brown hair.

“But, why are you here?” Mrs. Lynch asked curiously, tucking a strand of Rose’s blonde hair behind her ear.

“Don’t worry, it’s not for you. ‘s for a friend of mine, Flynn Rice.” Rose clarified.

The woman furrowed her brows with worry. “You mean the Doctor, as he so likes to be called. Bless. But, he didn’t tell me about any visitors he’s be having over. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, ma’am, it’s, um, sort of a surprise.”

Realization dawned across her face. “Oh, I see, well, come on in, I’ll show you to his room.”

Rose thanked the woman as she led her upstairs to a room adorned with comic strips and keep out signs.

“The lucky boy gets a room to himself,” Mrs. Lynch chuckled before leaving Rose in the hallway alone, left to fidget with the end of her jumper.

She nervously raised her fist to knock. Two raps was all.

“Mrs. Lynch, I told you, you don’t have to--” the Doctor ceased speaking when he caught sight of Rose, waiting at the threshold of his room. His face went so pale that the freckles stood out clear and plain on his cheeks.

“We need to talk.” She said simply.

“Right,” he nodded, stepping back to allow her into his cramped room, “Um, don’t mind the mess, sorry about that.”

The state of his room was the least of her problems. The Doctor shut the door behind her, seating himself in a rolling chair by his desk, his long legs stretched in front of him. Rose awkwardly sat on his unmade bed.

Once the shock had worn off, the Doctor was all serious business and Rose could quite literally see that invisible wall going up.

“How did you find me here?” he asked her through clenched teeth.

“Easy, boy,” Rose joked breezily, “That’s exactly the problem, isn’t it? I had to find out for myself instead of you telling me.”

The Doctor ran frustrated hands through his hair. “Yes, but, why did you feel the need to go out searching for yourself. Maybe I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to know.”

“Fine,” she crossed her arms across her chest, “maybe it was stupid of me, but you can’t deny the fact that it’s rather hard to maintain a friendship when you can’t even tell me about your home life. You can have a friendship, sure, but a fragile one.”

“Well, you don’t see Mickey or Martha or Jack searching through my records, which I assume is how you found me here, do you?” The Doctor had wheeled himself over so that he was right in front of her.

Rose felt like bursting into angry tears, but she remained steady, like she had told herself she would. “Maybe I jus’ care more for you, alright? Thas’ it! And besides, there’s nothing embarrassing about living in a foster home, let alone one where I know the lady who runs it. What’s there to hide?”

“How I got here is what!” He suddenly shot out from his seat, hands back in his hair as he paced away from her. “My story to how I ended up here, how I lost my parents, is what, Rose.” When he looked back at her, his face was open. And there was no frustration there, just sadness. Plain and obvious sadness.

He continued on. “Most kids here have maybe _something_ to look forward to, something to hope for. Hoping their parents will get better, give up that addiction, return home. But me? I’m alone. No family, nothing.”

Rose swallowed as she allowed herself something she had thought she’d need to say. “There’s me.”

He had had his back turned towards her, but now he spun around, looking at her in perhaps an entirely different way. He padded across the room, sitting back down in the chair in front of her. “How do you mean?”

She smiled weakly at his mock confusion. “Oh, you know. There’s Martha and Mickey and Jack. And there’s me. You’re not alone. Not matter how much you’d like to deny yourself the simple pleasure of company, you can’t deny us. We’re your friends, and we care for you. Some of us more than others.” She widened her grin, hoping to chock on out of him, which came slowly but surely.

Rose reached forward to clasp his hand in hers. He gently fingered her hands. “Now, tell me.”

He raised his dark eyes to hers. The way his hair hung and his eyebrows were set, you’d think he was just a child. “Tell you what?”

“Your story. About how you got here. Where are your parents, Doctor? Where are they?” she asked cautiously.

He sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to win with her. He untangled his hands from hers and leaned back in his seat.

“My mother…she died in child birth. I never got to see her face or her smile. Only in photographs. I got her eyes.” He smiled weakly to himself, his eyes trained on the ceiling. Even though she knew he wasn’t looking, Rose smiled encouragingly. “My father, on the other hand. He was killed in a car accident. He was actually, um, on his way to get me a book. I was eight and desired the latest Harry Potter book. And before he could make it…he was hit and killed on impact.” He closed his eyes, as if visualizing the crash he had likely never seen. When he opened them again, they glistened. “I suppose…” Rose saw him visibly swallow. “I suppose I killed them.” His voice broke on the last word.

Rose felt tears at the backs of her eyes, but she leaned forwards, grabbing his hands again. “No,” she whispered fiercely.

He looked back down at her, leaning forwards again. “No?”

“No,” she shook her head, “you didn’t kill them. You know that.”

And before she knew it he was embracing her, his arms wrapped around her chest and his nose buried in the crook of her neck. The only thing she could do was twine her arms around his neck and gently rub his pack.

When he pulled back, she saw that his eyes were once again clear. You wouldn’t have thought he was crying just a minute before.

“You know,” a smile worked its way at the corners of his mouth, “you’re the first person I’ve ever told this to directly.”

“Am I?” she smiled, raising a brow, but she wasn’t surprised. The way he told the story was as if he had rehearsed it in his head a thousand times in his head, but never spoken the words aloud. She rubbed his hands with her own. “How about those coupons to that diner? How about we talk about something lighter there?”

Now his smile came easily. “I’d love that.”


	5. A Stupid Kind of Plan

The Doctor liked the way her smile matched his. Or did it? He thought it exceeded his by a great amount. He swore he the room got lighter when she did. But that was all gushy poetic stuff which he didn’t really do.

The Doctor spoke a great deal of what he thought, some stuff he never thought which the Doctor tended to ignore, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell her about how every night before bed he would recite those words in his head—the story of how he lost his parents. He never understood why it was her. Why, she was just a perfectly ordinary girl, now his age, mind, with bright blonde hair and an even brighter smile which outshined her dark eyes by miles. He didn’t love her, no, love was for people with less priorities, and the Doctor had plenty already.

But he was…fascinated by her. Was that explanation enough? No, not fascination. Liking?

Oh, no, the Doctor only really liked his coat and the way the Earth amazingly turned at all times, all seconds, all milliseconds of the day. He was rather fond of his shoes, too, mind you.

“Right now?” he asked her instead, whipping every one of these thoughts from his head.

Her smile widened and his heart beat quickened ever so slightly. Maybe he did like her. _Maybe_. A hint of a crush, nothing more. “Right now,”

“Alright then, Rose Tyler. What’ll it be? Table for two?” he held out his arm for her to loop through and he was thoroughly relieved when she did. He saw her tongue poke through her teeth.

They both headed out his door, arm-in-arm, and he eventually slipped his hand into hers as he barreled down the stairs with Rose in tow. Mrs. Lynch looked up from where she sat at her desk in her office by the front door.

“And where are you two heading?” she asked.

“Oh, just a pop into the diner, shouldn’t be long. Although, who knows? Could get food poisoning, develop an allergy or two, you never know. There are billions and billions of possibilities.” The Doctor answered, releasing Rose’s hand, which he didn’t quite fancy, to fetch his coat from the peg by the door. His lovely coat. He did love that coat.

Mrs. Lynch appeared quite used to the Doctor’s excessive rambles. “You two have fun.”

“You two, Mrs. Lynch,” Rose replied cheerfully, then realizing there wasn’t much for her to exactly have fun with, she added awkwardly, “with your, um, papers and things,”

The Doctor smiled as she strode towards her and took her hand once again. He pulled her towards the door and whispered in her ear as they left through the front door, “I’ll buy you an extra set of chips just for that?”

“For what?” she looked up at him questionably, “the save I made there? Wasn’t much of one, though.”

The Doctor didn’t want to say it was because he thought she looked cute when doing it, so he just shook his head and smiled, pulling her off at a run before she had time to respond.

 

* * *

 

“These are rather fat, right? Not jus’ me?” Rose held up a chip by her fork, grease dripping onto her plate.

The Doctor shook his head, mouth full. “They remind me of the kind I had at another place, once.” He reached over for a napkin, ashamed of how he was talking to her with his mouth perfectly full. To his relief and aid, Rose laughed and leaned over the table, wiping his mouth for him.

“Really, where?” she asked, sitting back.

“Oh,” the Doctor leaned back as well. “you wouldn’t know. A far off planet, a far off city.”

That got a laugh out of her, which made the Doctor feel rather pleased with how he was doing on this…date? Could he even call it that? Rose probably didn’t think of it as a date. Just a lunch with one of her friends. The thought made his heart sink, and he tried to cover it up with an easy smile.

“So, another country?” Rose continued the conversation, making the Doctor think he had fooled her in showing that he was quite alright, thanks.

“Yes another country,” he said, resigned as he popped a chip into his mouth.

“When, if you mind me asking?”

He slung his arm around the back of their booth’s chair. “No, I don’t mind. It was when I was six, hardly remember, but my dad used to travel a lot and brought be along with him on quite a few trips. I remember it being fun, but the chips being disgusting.” He couldn’t help but smile, and he felt a burning behind his eyes, as if he was about to cry.

That was unacceptable. He wouldn’t cry in front of Rose twice in one day. He sniffed, turning his head towards her and widening his grin. “Anyways, enjoying your chips?”

Rose had dropped her fork and was staring at the chips, nose wrinkled. “Not anymore, thanks,”

“Oh, come on, they clearly aren’t the same as--”

“ _Doctor!_ There you are! Thank God I knew to look for you here. Assumed you both would have gone here together eventually!”

The Doctor looked up to see a pair of bright blue eyes staring at them both. Jack was leaning against the table, seemingly out of breath. The expression on his face was one of fear or urgency, quite an unusual one to see on the features of Jack’s handsome face.

“What is it, Jack?” he asked, rather annoyed to have his date interrupted so suddenly. There. It was a date.

“Oh don’t look at me like that, you two can go back to snogging or something later. This is important!” Jack practically yelled, getting several heads to turn in the restaurant, a few curiously looking over Jack’s fit form.

The Doctor saw Rose’s face turn bright red as she eyed the table. Was she embarrassed about the snogging remark? She was probably ashamed that Jack would have even suggested such an idea. Snogging a bloke like? Ridiculous! She could get someone better looking easily, Rose could.

Though he did quite like the idea of snogging her…nope out of the question.

He turned back to Jack. “What is it?” he repeated.

Jack swallowed. “It’s Mickey. He’s in trouble, and I think he’s about he be in even more. I think he’s going to get hurt.”

 

* * *

 

“Bloody Mickey! Couldn’t he have gotten a better job? One where he wasn’t directly involved with people? He never seemed like much of a people person to me, anyways.” The Doctor ranted angrily.

“Hush,” Rose smacked him on the arm from the backseat. They were both in Jack’s car, the Doctor in the front seat.

“It’s true! If he never worked there he wouldn’t run into trouble.”

“Oh and where do you think he’s better suited? The streets? ‘cause that’s where he’ll be if he loses his job.”

The Doctor bit his tongue, no more remarks left.

Apparently, Mickey was taking a bit longer than usual, fixing a car. Busy chatting with Martha, the Doctor guessed. He so clearly fancied her. Anyways, some bloke got riled up, obviously in a hurry, starting yelling at Mickey, more of his mates appeared and punches and kicks were threatened. Poor worried Jack, who was also there, thought it best to get him. The Doctor had no idea why, perhaps provide the blokes with a new target. That was reasonable enough. He couldn’t blame Jack.

“So, what do you want me to do?” he asked Jack.

He shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know, help? Talk them out of it. You could do that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” the Doctor said.

“That’s brilliant!” Rose said at the same time. When the Doctor looked back at her, she slumped in her seat, pretending to be preoccupied with examining her fingernails.

“Doesn’t matter, we’re here,” Jack said.

The Doctor got out of the car before it had even stopped. “Blimey, Mickey, couldn’t keep yourself out of one fight could you?”

Mickey stood at the entrance to the old garage, his hands fisted at his sides, glaring daggers at the group of four…five teenage boys that had gathered in front of him, none daring to move. Martha stood a ways back, her face brightening when she saw Jack’s car approach. Did they really think he could do anything?

“It wasn’t me, Doctor, these idiots just started yelling at me instead of letting me get the job done!” Mickey protested.

The Doctor stopped, shoving his hands in his pockets, the wind ruffling his hair. He heard Rose’s feet pounding against the pavement towards him.

One of the blokes turned around to face the Doctor. A wicked grin spread across his face. “Now who’s this Rickey, one of your mates? Is he your boyfriend, sweetheart?” he asked Rose, who now stood next to the Doctor. “Bit old for you, isn’t he?”

The boyfriend comment made the Doctor’s stomach flip, sure, but that ‘old for you’ comment made him pause. He knew he looked a bit older than the normal seventeen year old, but not that old. Was it the sideburns? Probably the sideburns.

The Doctor chose to ignore it. Good. Let him think he was older.

Before he could respond, Rose chose to instead. “Leave him alone,” she spoke bitterly. Rose Tyler, defending someone else when an insult was aimed straight at her. The Doctor turned to see her cheeks glowing red, and somehow he didn’t think it was from the sharp bite of the wind.

“Look, I’m going to kindly ask you to get the fuck out of here.” The main bloke said to them, turning fully towards them both, “Don’t want to frighten your girlfriend, right, when there’s bloodshed.”

The Doctor couldn’t help it. He laughed. “Bloodshed? Will there be now? Well,” the Doctor strode over so that he was right in front of him, in between the group and Mickey. “I’ve watched a lot of reality TV and I don’t think they’ll be any today. Now get out of here or I call the police.”

Now if was the boy’s turn to look back at his friends and laugh. The Doctor noticed that the leader’s teeth were full of plaque. Disgusting, this boy was.

“The police? Really? Can’t handle it yourself?” he taunted.

“Look,” the Doctor spoke calmly and steadily, not even phased, “let me get this straight: you came here to get your car repaired?”

“Yeah, but that arse there can’t even go two seconds without going away to talk--”

“Yes, I heard you, his girlfriend, whatever you like. But it took too long, yeah? So you got yur mates together and decided to yell at him about it, correct?”

“Figured that’s what he need, a little encouragement,” his eyes wandered murderously behind the Doctor to Mickey.

The Doctor sputtered out a laugh and the boy’s eyes quickly turned back to him. He frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“Well, that’s a stupid kind of a plan. ‘Let’s go yell at this boy to fix my car but distract him from doing that very thing!’ Sounds stupid, right? Better to leave him to his work and let him finish the job, right?”

The boy’s frown deepened. “Yeah, but now he knows what he’ll get if he doesn’t.”

“Oh believe me, you had no effect on him. With Mickey it’s just in one ear and right out the other.”

“Hey, Doctor, when--” Mickey sputtered out.

“Not now, Mickey,” the Doctor called back over his shoulder, then turned back to the boy, “So, would you mind leaving him to his work?”

Reluctantly, the boy nodded, grouping his friends together as he turned to leave. The Doctor smiled gleefully in triumph, rocking back on his heels as his hands made their way to his pockets.

“Oh that was brilliant, Doctor!” Rose said, hugging his arm and he smiled down at her. His heart was pounding so hard at the look on her face and her arms around his that he could have sworn he had two instead of one. “But tell me, why’d you lie about them having no effect on Mickey. You know they did make an effect on him.”

“Well, we can’t have them doing it again, can we?”

Her tongue slipped past her teeth as she shook her head. “No, we can’t,”


	6. Upholding Reputations

“You should meet my mum.”

She said it as what appeared to be casually, but the Doctor started at the statement. It was third period and he always looked forward to third period because _Rose_ was in his study hall during that time. Of course, they had always been since he moved, but they had never spoken or sat near each other. The Doctor took small notice of her, but she was always alone, so in the past few weeks they had grown closer and decided to share a table.

She sat across from him, sipping from a water bottle that he knew had once been left open on the table with a straw poking through (Rose preferred to drink it that way) but she was promptly scolded by the directing teacher and told that she could spill it and make a mess. She leaned over towards him as she capped the bottle, elbows on a textbook that he knew she wasn’t reading or even vaguely interested in.

He drew in a sharp breath and peered curiously at her over the top of his laptop. “You’re not seriously suggesting…?” he didn’t finish the statement.

But Rose seemed to have caught on, because first she was stricken (and was that embarrassment?) but she quickly covered it up with a loud giggle that got her a harsh look from the teacher from earlier.

“Sorry,” she whispered, covering her mouth, but when she turned back to the Doctor her hand dropped. “No, not like that. I was just thinkin’, because everyone else has met my mum.”

Everyone else? The Doctor sat straight up in his chair, eyebrows sharply turned down. Had everyone already had the pleasure to meet Rose’s mum, but not _him_?

Rose frowned at his posture, but quickly backtracked, correcting herself. “You know, Mickey, Martha, and Jack,”

“When?” he asked her, his voice rising slightly.

“Well, I’ve known Mickey since childhood, so ‘course he’s met her and we used to, you know…and Mickey brought Martha over once ‘cause we’re still good friends and Mum was interested in meeting the new girl he’s been hanging around and she also ran into Jack once at the pub. I’d prefer you not ask about that last bit.” She bit her bottom lip, twisting the cap of her water bottle.

The Doctor wrinkled his nose, turning back towards his computer screen. “I don’t know, I’ve heard things about your mother, Jackie, and they’re not too pleasant, mind.”

“Oh like what?” she challenged him.

“I don’t know…like—like she’s a bit hard to please and always suspicious, your mum.”

Rose continued to chew on her lip as she sat back, thinking about what he had heard of her mum. “Yeah, suppose that’s a bit true. But you can’t judge her based on what you’ve _heard_. You have to actually give her chance. It might be different with you. She might like you.”

He snorted, already busying himself on his computer. “Doubt it. A boy the same age as her daughter who’s been hanging around her a lot.”

“We’re just friends!” Rose said immediately, causing the Doctor to flick his eyes to meet hers. She hurriedly looked away and continued, “’sides, she’s met Jack. She liked him well enough.”

“Well, Jack’s _different_.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

That he isn’t likely to every date you. Or become your boyfriend. Or something more. Hurt you. “Nothing,”

After a few moments of silence where Rose continued to twiddle with her cap and the Doctor’s fingers tapped against his keyboard, Rose shot forward, grabbing his laptop, trying to pull it to see what was on his screen. “What _are_ you looking at anyways?”

“Nothing, nothing,” he said, yanking it out of her grip.

She gave him a cheeky smile. “Is it porn, Doctor?”

“What? No! You’ll find out at the next club meeting.” But when he looked back up at her, she still had that smart grin on her face, her tongue poking through.

“I mean it.” He said firmly.

After a few more minutes, she shot forward again, this time pulling on his hair so that it was resting against his forehead. He lifted his eyes and tried to give her the best look he could to tell her he was not amused.

She bit the inside of her cheek. “You need a haircut, know that?”

“I do not.” He jerked his head back, out of her reach. “I’ll have you know I spend plenty of time on my hair to make it look as good as it does every day.”

“You do have some really great hair, though.”

“Thank you,”

After a few more minutes Rose leaned forward again, but before she could do anything, he said, “Alright I’ll meet your mother!” A bit too loudly, mind.

Rose got her chance to use her best victory grin. “Brilliant, thanks,”

 

* * *

 

“But, Rose, I have a really bad feeling she won’t like me.”

“Well, you won’t know if you’re right until you try. Now come on. Stop dragging your feet.”

The Doctor had been trying to make the journey there take as long as humanly possible. Rose eventually gave in to take his hand, but it wasn’t like he would have expected it to go. She walked in front of him, practically dragging him there. Ever few intervals she would threaten to carry him. Maybe that was a good idea. Maybe it would have taken longer for her to walk under his weight.

They had left straight after school like he had promised, and he had been dreading it all through the day. Now he was regretting even agreeing to it at all. He should have let her bug him and just kept his mouth shut.

But he did want to meet Jackie Tyler, sure. Well, no, he was rather fond of the idea of meeting Rose’s mother as if he was her boyfriend, which he wasn’t. He didn’t like actually doing so, especially when it was _Jackie Tyler_ he was meeting.

Eventually they made it to her door, and Rose shoved her key into the door, nearly kicking the Doctor through it.

“Mum, I’ve brought a guest over!” Rose yelled as soon as she closed the door behind her.

The Doctor had never been inside Rose Tyler’s house, but it was small, yet comfy, and he instantly felt at home there.

“For the last time, sweetie, you don’t need to call Mickey a guest. He’s practically family.” He heard Jackie call back.

Rose kicked off her shoes. The Doctor forgot for a moment that he was over someone else’s house, and not just anyone’s, but Jackie Tyler of all people, and threw himself down on the recliner, without a care in the world.

Rose frowned at him, but soon sat herself down on the couch, tucking her feet underneath her. “’S not Mickey, Mum!”

“Then who is it? Is it your pub friend? I do like him.” The Doctor wondered why they had to shout across the house at each other.

“No, it’s,” Rose sighed before raising her voice again, “just come in here.”

“Alright, alright, but there’s no need for that tone, I swear, I’ll--”

Jackie stopped as he eyes landed on the Doctor, with his long coat and trainers still on, sprawled on one of her recliners. Her eyes narrowed.

“Now who’s this? Are you dating my daughter? A bit old for her, aren’t you?” she sneered.

The Doctor made a noise somewhere between a choke and an offended gasp.

“Mum, this is Flynn Rice, but he prefers to go by the Doctor.” Rose said calmly, trying for a smile, but Jackie only had eyes for the Doctor.

“The Doctor, huh? How old are you then? Twenty seven?”

“Um, you’re ten years off,” he said nervously, already fiddling with his ear.

“ _Thirty seven_ then? Blimey, what are you doing hanging around my daughter? She’s only a teenager and I don’t want another Jimmy Stone, now. Mind, he was younger than you, of course. And you say you’re a doctor, huh? Don’t look very professional, do you? You--”

“ _Mum!_ He’s my age and he’s not a doctor and we’re just friends.” Rose interrupted her mother.

Jackie finally turned to look at her daughter. “Just friends? Why’d you bring him over then?”

“Well, I just thought--”

“And why’s he call himself the Doctor?”

“Mum! I just thought you should meet all my friends. You already met Mickey, Martha, and Jack, why not the Doctor?”

“I suppose that’s reason enough.” She sat down on the couch next to her daughter. “But why the Doctor? Bit of a silly nickname, don’t you think?”

“Well,” the Doctor tugged at his ear, tilting his head thoughtfully, “I always just thought it fit--”

“Oi, you plum! I was talking to my daughter.” Jackie interrupted him and he swallowed loudly.

Rose laughed and the Doctor couldn’t help but smile. Jackie caught him and gave him a very firm look that warned him of anything he may hope or feel.

“Well, I don’t know why he calls himself that. He jus’ does.” Rose told her mum.

“And why’s that, Doctor?” Now Jackie addressed him.

“I told you,” he shrugged, “just thought it always fit.”

“Hm,” she rose from her seat, and began walking away, but turned around long enough to look at the Doctor and say, “Well, I don’t think it does.”

As soon as Jackie was out of earshot Rose burst into a fit of giggles. The Doctor leaned his elbows on the recliner’s armrest.

“I told you she wouldn’t like me! I told you!” but Rose continued to laugh until she was on the floor.

“Of course she doesn’t like you, she’s only just met you.” Rose brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She looked up at him from where she lay on the carpet. “So, what do you think of her?”

The Doctor leaned back with a snort. “She certainly upheld her reputation, that’s for sure.”


	7. Thoughtlessness and Innuendo

“So my mum knows who you are,”

“’Course she does. I just met her.”

“No, I mean she finally remembered where she knew you before that.”

It was fifteen minutes before the next meeting started, and of course Rose had come in early. The Doctor certainly had nothing to do with that. He hadn’t asked her to be there early.

Though it was a relief when she agreed happily.

The Doctor sat at the front desk, which on an early school day from 8 A.M. to 2 P.M. belonged to Mr. Douglas, the Literature teacher. But right now the Doctor had his trainer clad feet propped up as he rocked back and forth in his chair.

Rose Tyler sat at the student desk in the very front of the classroom directly in front of him. She screwed and unscrewed the cap of her water bottle.

“So where does she know me from, then?” he prompted.

“Oh,” she said, and the Doctor couldn’t help but notice the way her ears reddened slightly, “Well, it was before I, um, knew you, so to speak. I mean, I knew _of_ you of course,” she coughed and he thought she didn’t just know him before they were on speaking terms, and he couldn’t help the soar of his heart, hope flooding him with the possibility that _Rose Tyler liked him_. Well, has liked him for quite some time.

But, no, that was absurd. She would have talked to him sooner, surely.

She continued, her eyes on the desk in front of her. “It was when you were new here and you finally started up a Facebook page. And you, um, created a separate account for your coat there,” she lifted her head up to point to his coat on his back, her cheeks red, “And said you were in a relationship with it,” she laughed at that and he was glad to see her shoulders relaxing, “Of course, when the managers found out they deleted the account, but Mum must have caught wind of the story somehow, always does.”

The Doctor stared up at the ceiling, smiling. “I remember that. I do love my coat. Buuut,” he dropped his feet from the desk and leaned forward, matching Rose’s grin, “There still remains the fact that your mother remembers me from a silly joke I pulled on a social networking sight.”

Rose shrugged. “She admitted it was odd, but didn’t really comment further on it. ‘Sides, it doesn’t matter how she remembers you. You’re just my friend, right?”

He couldn’t stop the feeling he got when she said that, as if he had just been run through the heart by a sharp blade. He leaned back, propping his feet back on the table, swallowing his grin. Rose leaned back as well, biting her thumb nail.

The next minute that passed seemed to the Doctor like an hour before Mickey and Martha came bustling in, loudly continuing a conversation as if they were still in the hallway. Mickey sat in the seat behind Rose. At that, she spun around and quickly joined in on their conversation.

The Doctor looked enviously on, even knowing Mickey was not a threat, as he was obviously taken with Martha Jones. He sniffed, clearing his throat as he dropped his feet yet again and interrupted their conversation by saying loudly, “Do any of you know where Jack’s got to?”

Mickey smiled knowingly at Martha before answering the Doctor. “He’s with a friend.”

“Well, will one of you tell him to hurry up we’ve got a meeting to start and I’ve got a very important announcement to make.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea Doc--”

“Relax, relax I’m here, no need to get your trousers up in a twist, Doctor.” Jack strode into the room, hands shoved into his coat pockets.

“And where the bloody hell have you been?” The Doctor spun in his chair to face where Jack had taken a seat in the desk next to Rose.

“He’s been hanging around that new bloke, Doc,” Mickey answered instead.

“ _Doctor_ ,” the Doctor corrected him firmly before turning back to Jack, “and could you perhaps hurry these meetings up? Tell him you have a more important meeting to attend?”

Jack held up his hands in defense. “Alright, alright, Doctor, don’t worry. You’re still the number one man in my life. I’ll even take you to the end of the year dance, sound good?”

“Stop it,” he turned, unaware, to Rose to see her trying to hide a smile as she bit her bottom lip. He knew he would have no plans with Jack, but maybe with her…

“Alright! So I have extremely important news for all of you.”

“Extremely? How extreme?” Rose asked him seriously

“Just—just extreme, alright? So, I have been planning this for the last few days--”

“Weeks, actually,” Rose piped up.

“Right, well, it’s required some planning. I’ve planned for all of us, next school year, to visit that new amusement park they’ve just finished building last month.” He grinned wildly at them, expecting exclamations of gratitude. Instead, he was met with blank stares.

Then, all at once they began talking over on another.

“An amusement park, Doc? What are you suggesting?” Jack said with an added eyebrow waggle.

“Why next year?” asked Rose.

“That’s a bit old school, Doctor, don’t you think?” Mickey added.

“Sounds like a plan,” Martha admitted.

“What? No! You were all supposed to be excited! I’ve got the rooms planned and everything. Five star hotel! For us! And it’s all paid for by the school. I’ve talked to the principal and he thought it sounded brilliant. Of course, I had to persuade him that it was simply educational, that we were examining acceleration.” The Doctor nearly yelled, causing someone passing by the room in the hallway to stare curiously in. The Doctor rushed up the close the door, coat flying out behind him. He slammed it shut, his back against the door, feet stretched out in front him.

The others turned in their seats to face him.

“Do these rooming arrangements include you and me together?” Jack asked instead.

“No! I’ve got my own room!”

“And why’s that?” Mickey crossed his arms over his chest while Martha rolled her eyes.

“Because I planned the whole thing, that’s why! Now what do you all say? I’ll cancel if you don’t want to go!” Now it was his turn to cross his arms.

This time around they were a lot more accepting.

“Yeah, sounds brilliant, Doctor, really!” Rose said, even throwing in a signature Rose Tyler smile for good measure, making his stomach flutter.

“Sure, Doc,” said Jack.

Martha nodded and Mickey did, too, grudgingly.

“Brilliant!” the Doctor clapped his hands together, navigating his way to the front of the room. “So, it’s all settled then?”

“Wait, just one question, why next year?” Rose said, lifting a finger.

The Doctor turned to her, wide eyed, taken aback by her question. He couldn’t understand why she would ask such a question in the first place.

“We’re all going to be here next year, right?” he answered.

What if she wasn’t? What if Rose Tyler was moving? What if he never saw her again after this school year? Was he giving his hopes up, liking her like he did? All these possibilities ran through his head in the second it took for Rose to begin laughing, her tongue making an appearance.

“Yeah, but why not this month or next month? Why not sooner?”

He sincerely hoped the long breath he exhaled wasn’t as loud or as long as it was to him, relief washing over him.

“Oh, right! Well, the end of the year dance is coming up and the school’s already paying for that, so they thought it’d be easier to just wait for the next school year. Good thing we’re all in the same year, right?”

“Right, suppose that makes sense.” Rose turned away and the Doctor couldn’t help but grin, his head slightly tilting from side to side.

“Yeah, yeah it does,” he spoke mindlessly, earning him a few odd looks from the others in the room.

“So, Doctor, something you wanted to ask me?” Jack interrupted his thoughts.

The Doctor frowned as he turned his head to face him. “No, nothing comes to mind,”

Jack snorted as he rose, patting the Doctor on his shoulder. “Well, better not mind you any longer,” and with that he left, Mickey and Martha soon after.

Rose stood up silently, swinging her bag over her shoulder. As she was just about to leave the Doctor suddenly spoke up.

“Rose?”

She turned around, smiling. “Yeah?”

“Er,” the Doctor scratched the back of his neck, “have a good afternoon,” he said uncertainly.

“Yeah, alright, I will,” her smiled widened as she turned and walked down the hallways.

He didn’t know what drove him to do it, but suddenly he was running the width of the room out into the hallway. He trainers skidded against the floor as he looked left and right to see in which direction she had gone. He noticed the door closing at the left end of the hallway and took it at a head on run.

He sprinted down the sidewalk to catch up to her, hand shielding his eyes from the sun.

“Rose!”

She turned around, no smile this time, her eyes wide. “Yeah?”

He slowed to a stop in front of her. “Um,” he closed his eyes, not sure what to say next. Why had he come out here? Should he kiss her?

No! That was out of the question. Friends didn’t just kiss friends when they felt like it. Instead, he dug his hand into his coat pocket, pulling out a Slinkey toy, a gum wrapper, a screw, a few buttons, and a crumbled up slip of notebook paper with a lengthy equation scrawled on it before finally pulling out a thin pen.

“You, uh, forgot this,” he held it out to her. Of course she didn’t. It wasn’t even hers, to be truthful.

“Oh, thank you, I, uh, don’t remember bringing this, but, thank you. Yeah, I’ll see you then?” she smiled at him and he couldn’t help but smile back.

“See you tomorrow, Rose Tyler,”

Long after she had left he stood in place before realizing he had been offered a ride home in two minutes by one of his classmates Donna Noble.

He took off at a dead sprint.


End file.
